Tag Archives: must-read kids’ books

Through the eyes of a cat, we see the story of two Israeli soldiers in Bethlehem who take over a home in order to watch for terrorists. While at first the home seems empty, Clare, the cat, shows them that … Continue reading →

When I was a child, I read The Little House books, mostly because many raved about how good they were. My sister’s read them. I got through them all. Louise Erdrich has outdone them, though, with The Birchbark House, the story of Omakayas, an Ojibwa girl, as … Continue reading →

Slog’s Dad, written by David Almond and illustrated by Dave McKean, is a fascinating story about a boy, Slog, who believes the man on the bench is his dad. Nevermind that his dad died. Or that the man looks nothing … Continue reading →

Jane, The Fox & Me, a beautiful graphic novel looks much like a picture book, both with its size and its style of illustrations. Hélène, a middle schooler in Montreal, Quebec, is suddenly outcast by her friends, and she believes the graffiti … Continue reading →

Bryan Collier has an amazing collection of picture books and this one, which illustrates Langston Hughe’s poem, I, Too, Sing America, is another mixed media beauty. It begins on a train, a Pullman porter serving wealthy white passengers and relegated to the kitchen to … Continue reading →

Home of the Brave, a novel-in-verse by Katherine Applegate, is a moving story about Kek, who as a refugee from Sudan who as seen atrocities never loses hope of seeing his mother again. This story has an authentic and perceptive voice, beautiful language and … Continue reading →

Selected and illustrated by world-renowned artist Ashley Bryan, Walk Together Children: Black American Spirituals, is complete with music for each song. The linoleum print artwork, stunning in black and white if you can get your hands on a 1974 edition, has … Continue reading →

Kadir Nelson illustrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s dream using the words of that well-known speech. Nelson creates a balance between history and a vision for the future: We see both Dr. King on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial … Continue reading →

While set in the present day, Walter Dean Myers‘ The Cruisers takes us back to the mindset of the Civil War era through eighth grade students. Zander and his friends, the Cruisers, have to prove their potential at Da Vinci Academy, a … Continue reading →